Positive-negative counting device



Nov. 19, 1957 J. 1.. HESTON 2,813,679

POSITIVE-NEGATIVE COUNTING DEVICE Filed July 27, 1955 E} INVENTOR. j; 45 Jaw 1. l/ijro/v ATTORNEY United States Patent Oflice POSITIVE-NEGATIVE COUNTING DEVICE John L. Heston, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, assignor to Collins Radio Company, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application July 27, 1953, Serial No. 370,323

6 Claims. (Cl. 235117) This invention relates in general to counting mechanisms and in particular to an apparatus which can continuously present a number and the complement of that number to a third number.

In many applications Where counters are used, it is desirable to know the complement of the number indicated. For example, it may be desirable to know how many more operations are to be performed as well as how many have been done. Suppose, for example, that a thousand parts are to be built and that a counter counts parts as they are built. It would be convenient to know at all times the number remaining to be built as well as the number completed.

Prior methods of doing this have required complicated counting devices which in general comprise twice the number of parts as a single counter. A second counter has been driven in the reversed direction and shafted to the first counter so that the counters continuously indicated a number and its complement.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple counting mechanism with a movable template which continuously indicates a number and its complement.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and economical counting mechanism which continuously has available the complement of the number indicated.

A feature of this invention is found in the provision for a counting mechanism with a particular arrangement of numbers on the counting dials such that a template may be moved from a first to a second position to continuously indicate a number and its complement.

Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description and claims when read in view of the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of the assembled counting mechanism of this invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the counter of this invention; and,

Figure 3 illustrates the numbers printed on the counting drums of this invention.

Figure 1 illustrates a base plate 10 upon which are mounted a pair of end plates 11 and 12. A drive shaft 13 is rotatably supported between the end plates 11 and 12 parallel to the base plate 10 and carries thereon three counting drums 14, 15 and 16. The counting drums 14 and 15 are rotatably supported by the shaft 13 but the counting drum 16 is non-rotatably supported on a flat portion 17 of shaft 13.

Attached to the counting drum 14 is a first drum gear 19 which is non-rotatably attached to the drum 14 by set screws 21. A locking disc 22 and a driving disc 23 are rotatably supported on shaft 13 and non-rotatably attached to the counting drum 15. The discs 22 and 23 are attached to the hub 24 of counting drum 15 by means of set screws 26. The locking disc 22 is formed with a notch 27 and the disc 23 is formed with a pair of projections 28 and 29 for a purpose to be later described.

2,813,679 Patented Nov. 19, 1957 A second drum gear 31 is attached to the counting drum 15 on the side opposite the discs 22 and 23 by means of set screws 33.

A second locking disc 34 and a second driving disc 36 are connected to the counting drum 16 by means of set screws 37. The locking disc 34 is formed with a pair of notches 38 and 39 in its periphery and the driving disc 36 is formed with two sets of teeth 41 and 42 which extend from its periphery.

A second shaft 43 extends between end plates 11 and 12 and rotatably supports thereon pinions 44 and 45. The pinions 44 and 45 are conventional counter pinions comprising alternate teeth 46 which extend the full transverse dimension of the pinion and alternate teeth 47 which extend only half the transverse dimension of the pinions. The pinion 44 engages the drum gear 19 and discs 22 and 23, whereas the pinion 45 engages the drum gear 31 and the discs 34 and 36.

A drive gear 48 is connected on the end of shaft 13 to drive the counter.

A U-shaped bracket 51 is slightly longer than the distance between the plates 11 and 12 and is received over guide pins 52 and 53 mounted, respectively, in the plates 11 and 12. A spring 54 is mounted on the guide pin 53 and biases the template 51 to the right relative to Figures 1 and 2. Three windows 56, 57 and 58 are formed in the upper portion 59 of the member 51.

The drum gears 19 and 31 are formed with 20 teeth and 20 pairs of numbers are printed on each dial so as to continuously indicate the complement and number.

The right row of numbers 61 on the first counting drum 16 runs from zero to 9 and then zero to 9 again. The second row 62 printed on the dial 16 goes in descending order from zero to 1 and zero to 1 again. The sum of the two numbers printed in columns 61 and 62 when added across the dial always equals 10, except in the case of the double zeros.

The right column 63 of the counting drum 15 goes from zero to 9 with each number being repeated twice, thus 0-0, l-l, etc. The left row 64 of the counting drum 15 starts with zero and then goes from 9 to zero, repeating each digit between the zeros twice.

The drum 14 is printed with two columns 66 and 67 identical with the drum 15. The pinion 44 in combination with the drum gear 19 and discs 22 and 23 moves the counting drum 14 two places each time a transfer occurs. During the transfer the first number appearing on the drum 14 will have a complement of 10, whereas the second number appearing and remaining until the next transfer will have a complement of 9.

The drum gear 31 and discs 34 and 36 cause the drum 15 to be transferred for each degrees of rotation of the drum 16 rather than for each 360 degrees, as conventionally done in counting mechanisms. Also, the numbers 64 and 63 printed on the drum 15 are arranged such that two of them appear beneath the window 57 during each transfer. The first number which appears and which lasts for only half of ti e transfer adds up to 10 whereas the second number which appears and remains until the next transfer adds up to 9.

In operation, the counter is connected by the gear 48 to the phenomena to be measured. Suppose the number of revolutions of a shaft are to be measured and that for each revolution of the shaft the counter drum 16 is moved one numeral so that it will indicate the number of revolutions occurring.

The double zeros are lined up beneath the windows 56, 57 and 58 at the start of the cycle so that the complement will also read 0-0. As the first drum 16 is rotated by the gear 48 to indicate 1, simultaneously the drums 14 and 15 will be rotated one-twentieth of a revolution by the mechanism including the pinions 44 and 45 cooperatively acting with the projections 28 and 29 of disc 23 and disc 22, and the drum gear acting with discs 34 and 36 as described above so that beneath the template 51 will rest numbers 9(), 9-0, and 9-1. If the template is then moved to the left relative to Figure 1, numbers 9-9-9 will occur which is the complement of the number O-l.

As the first drum 16 is rotated to the next digits 2 through 9, the drums 14 and 15 will not move. However, as drum 16 is rotated to indicate zero in the right column, the numbers 91 will be moved on the second dial 15 and as the number 1 is moved on the drum 16 beneath the window, the drum 15 will be transferred another stop to indicate 1 preceded by 8. Thus, for each transfer of counter drums 14 and 15, two numbers are utilized; The same digit is repeated on the right side, but the left digit is decreased by one so that the sums of these numbers in one instance is 10 and in the other instance is 9. Thus the right column of the drums will indicate the number 011. This represents the counted revolutions or the results of the counting aspect of this invention. Now at this same time the left column of the drums will indicate the number 989. This is the complement of 011. The complement which will be read on any variation of this invention will always be the complement of the number displayed to a base which is equal to 10 raised to a power equal to the number of drums being utilized. Thus the number displayed in the embodiment illustrated is 989 which is the complement of 011. When 010 appears on the counting side of the drums, its complement 990 will be on the left side of the drums. The 1 in the tens column which is displayed as 010 is the number 1 which is preceded or which has the numeral 9 in the left column of drum 15. However, the 1 in the tens column which is displayed in the counting side of the drums in 011 is the 1 which has the numeral 8 in the left hand side of drum 15. The 1 in the units column in 011 is the sec- 0nd 1 in the sequential illustration of the counting side of drum 16.

This result is accomplished by having twice the usual number of figures on the counter dials and by adding two transfer points on the counting drum 16. The template 51 may be moved and thus will at any time display through its windows either a number or its complement depending upon its position.

Although this invention has been described with respect to particular embodiments thereof, it is not to be so limited as changes and modifications may be made therein which are within the full intended scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A counting mechanism for continuously indicating a number and its complement comprising, a base plate, a pair of end plates attached to said base plate, a drive shaft rotatably supported between the end plates, first, second and third counting drums mounted on said drive shaft, the first counting drum nonrotatably supported on said drive shaft, a first locking disc attached to said first counting drum and formed with a pair of notches, a first driving disc connected to said first locking disc and formed with two pairs of teeth mounted on opposite sides thereof, the second counting drum rotatably supported on the drive shaft, a first drum gear attached to one side of said second counting drum, a second locking disc attached to the other side of said second counting drum and formed with a single notch in its periphery, a second. drive disc attached to the second locking disc andformed with a pair of teeth, a second drum gear attached. to the third counting drum, a second shaft supported between the end plates, a pair of pinions supported on said second shaft, one of said pinions engage- 4 able with the first drum gear and the first locking and driving discs, and the second pinion engaging with the second drum gear and the second locking and drive discs.

2. A counting mechanism for continuously indicating a number and its complement comprising, a base plate, a pair of end plates attached to said base plate, a drive shaft rotatably supported between the end plates, first, second and third counting drums mounted on said drive shaft, the first counting drum nonrotatably supported on said drive shaft, a first locking disc attached to said first counting drum and formed with a pair of notches, a first driving disc connected to said first locking disc and formed with two pairs ofteeth mounted on opposite sides thereof, the second counting drum rotatably supported on the drive shaft, a first drum gear attached to one side of said second counting drum, a second locking disc attached to the other side of said second counting drum and formed with a single notch in its periphery, a second drive dis'c attached to the second locking disc and formed with a pair of teeth, a second drum gear attached to the third counting drum, a second shaft supported between the end plates, a pair of pinions supported on said second shaft, one of said pinions engageable with the first drum gear and the first locking and driving discs, and the second pinion engaging with the second drum gear and the second locking and drive discs, 21 pair of pins mounted on the end plates, and a U-shaped bracket receivable over said pins and formed with three openings therein through which numbers on the counting drums are visible.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first counting drum has printed thereon a double row of numerals with the first row on the right going from O to 9 and O to 9, and the'second'row on the left going in descending order from'9 to() and 9 to 0.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second and third counting drums each have two columns of numbers printed thereon, wherein the right columns go from 0 to 9 in ascending order with each numeral being repeated twice and the left columns start with a Zero and then go in descending order from 9 to 0 with each of the numerals between the zeros being repeated twice.

5. A- counting mechanism including counting drums which continuously indicates a number and its complement wherein' during each transfer two numbers are presented on certain of said counting drums, with the first number having a complement of 10 and the second number a complement of'9l 6. A counting mechanism for continuously presenting a number andits complemenhcomprising a first counting drum, a first transfer mechanism, a second counting drum connected to the first transfer mechanism and' transferred twice during each revolution of the first counting drum, each transfer causing two numbers of the second counting drum to be presented, two rows of numbers printed on the first counting drum with the right row going from zero to 9 and zero to 9, and the left row going in descending orderfrorn 0 to '1 and 0 to 1, two rows of numbers printed on the second counting drum with the right row going in ascending order from zero to 9 with each number being repeated twice on each counting drum, and the left row starting with zero andgoing in descending order from 9 to zero with each number between the zeros being repeated twice.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 633,374 Ball et a1. Sept. 19, 1899 1,948,946 Smith et al. Feb. 27, 1934 2,137,013 Bradley Nov. 15, 1938 

